ABLE Marriage

Marriage is a covenant relationship between one man and one woman who are pursuing Christ together so that the Gospel is proclaimed. There is an adventure in a marriage that keeps the gospel in focus. When our hearts our connected, everything else improves. Marriage is the image God chose to reflect Christ and the Church.

We are only as strong as our states, which are only as strong as our cities, which are only as strong as our churches, which are only as strong as our marriages, which are only as strong as the men who lead them. It starts at HOME, and your marriage make a huge difference.

Ephesians 5:21-32 shows us how marriage is a reflection of Christ and the Church.

"Wives, submit to your husbands, as to the Lord." This use of the word "submit" mean s a voluntary acceptance that is "ordered under". It does not mean "less valuable, but instead an important role to play." Wives typically do not have a problem submitting when loved the way the text says to love. Jesus set the pattern for submission as He willingly submitted to the Father's will.

Paul is calling wives to submit to husbands...not men. When done properly, wives reflect Christ to a world that needs that relationship.

Ephesians 5:25 says, "Husbands love your wives...". Husbands are to love their wives so much that she will never go looking anywhere else. This type of love is a choice for the man. Christ loved the church so much that He gave His life for it.

Men are called to care for the spiritual health of their wives. Unfortunately, too often the women are more concerned about the spiritual maturity of their husbands. Men demonstrate Christ in their leadership.

God wants to use you for the sake of the gospel. Your marriage matters! If you are struggling, get help! God can rebuild anything!

To Discuss Today:

Men are challenged to do these things each day this week:

1. Ask, "Is there anything I can do for you today?"

2. Pray each day that God would show you practical ways to love, nourish, and cherish her.

3. Text her once/day "I love you because..."

Women are challenged to do these things each day this week:

1. Focus on his strengths rather than his weaknesses.

2. Pray each day for him to "be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, to be strong, and to love well.

3. Text him once/day "I love and respect you because..."

Please feel free to call or email your thoughts each week!

Blessings.

Pastor Patrick

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ABLE – Everything

This morning we concluded our series, “Are We There Yet”. That said, this is just the beginning. Pastor Alex is walking us through a strategy of making disciples. We will:

Abide in Christ

to Build relationships

and Live the gospel

with Everything.

Pastor Alex defined the gospel as “the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that through faith in Him we can be forgiven and reconciled to God.”

Hebrews 13:20-21 states, “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

The God of peace speaks to a wholeness that is available now to bring order (peace) from the chaos of this world. The broken shalom is restored through Jesus Christ!

Equip (v21) means “to make someone or something completely adequate, sufficient, or fully qualified. To the reader’s of the day, equip means:

For a doctor – setting a broken bone

For soldiers – ready an army for battle

For fishermen – mending a torn net

Katartízō is the same word the writer uses to describe God preparing the world. If God can katartizo the world out of things not seen by His spoken WORD, He is certainly able to equip us with whatever task He has for us to do. It is God in us that does the work.

“Working in us” means the Christian life is not us living “like Jesus”; trying to do our best for Him. Instead, it is the Spirit of Christ living in and through us. The idea is that we can’t live this Christian life, but He did and He will live it through us. That’s supernatural life and is what the world needs to see. When they see us living that way, they will see Him, Christ in us, the hope of glory. The Spirit of Christ now living in me enables me to do what He has commanded me to do. Philippians 2:13 tells us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

It’s ALL His…not ours. It is on loan from Him, including: spiritual gifts, time, money, influence, our breath, children, experiences…all His.

Freedom to live the gospel with everything comes from:

1. Recognizing that we only steward this life

2. Remembering WHO gave it all to us in the first place

3. Tasting the joy of living with open hands

The SECRET: The love of Christ compels us to love others with open hands.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

1. Is there anything that keeps you from giving everything?

2. Contemplate the truth that God gave everything by giving His son to satisfy His wrath. How does that impact how you are willing to live sacrificially for others?

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This morning we continued in our series, “Are We There Yet”. Pastor Alex is walking us through a strategy of making disciples. We will:

Abide in Christ

to Build relationships

and Live the gospel

with Everything.

Pastor Alex defined the gospel as “the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that through faith in Him we can be forgiven and reconciled to God.” The gospel can’t be true without life, death, and the resurrection.

When we speak of living the gospel, it includes both WORD and DEED. Too often, Christians in our city focus on doing kind things for people, but never tell them why they are doing it. It is critical to speak the gospel to them. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Here is an illustration of how to share the gospel using this verse with others:

Another tool mentioned was the 3 circles method. You can watch that here.

Matthew 5:14-15 is part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus reminds us that we are the light of the world. Our actions point to the gospel. We love because He first loved us. BUT, we must share the light with others. It takes 20 seconds of boldness to step into the conversation. “Let your light shine before men SO THAT they may see your good deeds and give GLORY TO YOUR FATHER in heaven.” Make sure people in your life know WHY you do kind things, WHY you serve others, and WHY you have joy.

There is a lot of philanthropy in our city, but only one gospel! If we do not share the message of the gospel, studies in our city show that we will have more “unchurched” than “churched” people in Charlotte in just 7 short years.

CHALLENGES:

1. Know what the gospel is – see definition above!

2. Memorize Romans 6:23

3. Write down 1 name of someone you will speak the gospel to in the next 30 days.

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A.B.L.E. - Build

This morning we continued in our series, "Our We There Yet". Pastor Alex is walking us through a strategy of making disciples. We will:

Abide in Christ

to Build relationships

and Live the gospel

with Everything.

Only when we abide in Christ will we be able to bear lasting fruit. Out of abiding in Christ, we are compelled to Build Relationships. 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 says that the love of Christ compels us. We have walked from death to life through Jesus. We are a new creation, so we should be so excited to share that saving new life with others. WE have the ministry of reconciliation (v19). We are ambassadors for the gospel.

When building relationships, we need to build them with the lost and the found.

FOUND:

Be sure you have "found" friends. Fellowship is a critical part of encouragement and accountability. If you don't do that, you are a target for the enemy. Find someone!

LOST:

It has been identified that people who do not grow up in a Christian home come to Christ through a process over time. It takes a relationship...not an event. You must know a name in order to build that relationship. Unfortunately, within 2 years of someone coming to Christ, they have lost their non-Christian friends.

A TIP from the VCR:

Time - you must make time with lost people

Intentionality - You must choose to build these relationships

Purpose - Does the love of Christ compel you, or are you doing it out of guilt.

Value - everyone matters! We are all the Imago Dei

Credibility - Your message is true

Real Purpose - Why are you doing it? It isn't another notch in your belt.

Without Christ, people are dying to an eternal hell separated from God. We are the ambassadors of Christ who can love them to a relationship with Him.

QUESTIONS:

1. Does your new life in Christ compel you to build relationships with non-believers, or do you have guilt that you are "supposed" to build relationships?

2. Do you have true friendships with the Lost and the Found? Who?

3. Be sure to abide in Christ this week, and ask Him to give you opportunities to build relationships. He will do it if you are abiding in Him.

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A.B.L.E. - Abide

Vision - Where we could be, should be, and MUST be

Mission - What we will do to get there

Strategy - How we will do it

This month, we are learning about a strategy for our church. We have always worked hard at making disciples, but we have gone about it in various ways across the ministries of our church over time. We have just developed a clear, simple, biblical focus to show HOW we are going to make disciples at Carmel across our different environments of Nearest, Neighbors, and Nations. Here it is:

We will ABIDE in Christ

to BUILD relationships

and LIVE the gospel

with EVERYTHING

2 Timothy 2:2 says, "And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." So, we are strengthened TO BE ABLE by the grace that is in Christ. It is NOT the Pastors job, but the job of the entire body of Christ. This is for all of us!

ABIDE - To remain, continue, stay, dwell.

John 15:1-5 is a classic passage about abiding in Christ. We must be connected to the life-giving source. If you remove a branch from the vine, it dies. We wee from this passage that when we abide; we bear fruit, more fruit, and much fruit.

HOW TO ABIDE:

1.You do nothing - It's who you are in Christ. There is nothing you can do. The branch doesn't do the work, the vine does. We are utterly dependent on Him. It is a posture, an identity, and a reality. It can't be taken away. It's not dependent on us. (Think about a baby in the womb - that is a picture of abiding.) Let this be freeing for you - you are already there!

2. Feast on His Word - To enjoy the Scripture as the gift of God that it is. Abiding through the Word gives us confidence to build and live with everything. Without abiding, we become religious robots.

WHEN YOU ABIDE:

1. Ask whatever you wish - our desires line up with His desires

2. The Father is glorified when you are fruitful.

3. Authentication of who you are in Christ.

4. So aware of the love of God in your life

5. Desire of obedience

6. There is joy

QUESTIONS:

1. What excuse do you use to avoid making disciples?

2. Do you accept the fact that you are accepted by Christ into the Father's family? How do you strive in your life to try to "be enough"? Why do you do that?

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